Clothespin



Feb. 8,1949. y M. MAccAFERRr 2,461,333

CLOTHES PINl Filed May 28, 1947 IN VEN TOR.

By A.

Patented Feb. 8, 1949 v .geniuses l "cnoTHEserN v sManioiMaecaferrLfltye, Y. .Applicationmay 2s, iemfseriarna 151x218 j.

exclame. (cigar-.41am

'This invention relatesto clothesfpinsrandunore particularly of thekind consisting'ofpivotelijaws controlled by a springgthe jaws Vfleeing"triade'o'f a Vsuitable plastic material.

Clothes pins of this general type have been attendant with ,considerable dicnltyinconnec- 'tion with the breaking down o'ftthe The .invention Vconsists .in 'al specially shaped spring arranged lto'hold 'the jaws -closed, .and to permit .opening .o'f 'the jaws, which spring is cotthespring to theleast possible strain, and'also to enable .the .spring .to Apress forcibly .on jth'e forward endso'f .thejiaws lMore particularly .the .invention .includes fthe combination -of .the I`improved spring and jaws having bulges to be engaged by ends of the spring, the spring having-iameentrant ecuiwe to take up the resiliency.

The invention will be'furtherdesoribedfanembodiment thereof shown in thef'drawingsgand he inventionmill deeiinallypointediqutdnfthe claims.

in the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 'i' is Va side View ofthe improved "clothes Fig. 2 is a topnziew.;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3-3 o'fFig..2, with the ljaws in .closed position;

' lig. 4 is a similar view 'With'the jaws in open position;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal fragmentary view taken Y on line 5 5 of Fig. 4, seen in the direction of .the

arrows, and

Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken on line 6--6 of Fig. 3.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the various views.

Referring to the drawings, the clothes pin I0 is preferably made of suitable plastic material. It consists of two jaws I I and I2. Each jaw is identical with the other. Each consists of ahandle portion I 3 inclined to the horizontal at Yits inner surface I4, and having its outer surface substantially parallel as at I5. On the outer surface I5, cross ridges I6, for example, are provided to enable the ilngers to readily grip the same. Other forms of gripping means may be employed. At the inner end of the inclined end portion I4, a hinge device I8 is provided. The face of the jaw then extends substantially horizontally as at I@ to a curved entrance portion 20. The horizontal portions I9 of the tWo jaws I I and I2, have cut outs 22, 23 and 24. These cut outs or gaps form outer curved surfaces 26, 21, and 28. Be-

tween the -outer curved rsurfaces :endi fiat parts'ls and 29o-.are provided. A spring 30 of general elongated U shape,but -df \ogee :or WS tfor vreverse shape, thas its ends 30a shaped v'to .t ngains'tvthe -outer iblge "12, The spring 30*hasaa-'cunved--partiill swhih-'abuts against and extenrlsiover fthe lbulge 321. 'The f3() `then ihas Y:a semicirolilar curve 35,1wlii'ohimerges `into theeurved part f3`1 :Whichiiscommon toiboth legs-of the spring 301 r'curveddisposition fof 'theparts-hasithefadvantage f'plwcingftheispring closing .pressure es ifar @forward 'of Aithe 'jaws 'as possible, 1in order to get 'a fgoo closing pressui-ie', and enables-ei gentle opening pfthefiawsnwithout. subjectingfthe spring tounnecessary wear.

Whenepressure is applied 5tothe jaws l"Hi, ithe :bulge 2! whichhavingiits outer'curvature dfrsubstantially'cylindrical'shapeandhaving.thenurve portion 34 lof the 'spring A3i! rcurvjedf'i'n yconformity move'towardsrhejaws,orftowardsfthefilatjpor- Y vtion 29a, Without, however, contactingtherewith "In consequence, "the common por'iaiorf's'l fis sube :jectedito-ve'ry little-movement. 'Tnisreentrant porti-on 35; whenfunder itens'i'on, seksitoemoye thereby closethe ijaws; The Spring 3U from the reentrant portion 35 to its ends 30a, translates a part of this reaction pressure upon the further or outer part of the jaws.

The hinge I8 consists of a spherical projection I8a and a spherical recess I8b. Each J'aw II or I2 has one projection and one recess, ,arranged on a line A-A transversely of each jaw (Fig. 5)'. The projection I8a, of one nts into the yrecess of vthe other jaw. Tothe lright of line A-A in Fig. .5, each jaw has a short'flat surface 4I, which is inclined to the horizontal, 4as shown infFigs. 3 and 5. Preferably this .inclination is in line with the inclined surface I4. When the jaws II and I2 are closed as inFig. 3, the inclined surfaces 4I form an angular bite. When the jaws are entirely olpen, these surfaces 4I, abut, and prevent further opening of the jaws. The line ALL-A,

as shown in Fig. 5, is coincident Withjthe angle y line 43 formed by a horizontal surface*-42 and..

sages for steelwire or rope lines. TheV first one 22 is to clamp clothes on a rope line. The central one 24 may be used to clamp the pin without clothes on the clothes line and leave it there, overnight, so to say, ready to be used for clothes.

The curved entrance portions 20 enable the jaws to be pushed over the clothes on the line, until the cut outs embrace the clothes.

I have described an embodiment of my invention, but obviously various changes may be made in the details disclosed without departing froi'n the spirit vof the invention as set out in the following claims:

Iclaim:

drically shaped outward bulge, and-a -U' shaped 4 circular form between said iirst named semicircular portion and the U of the spring.

4. In a clothes pin, having a pair of jaws each having a clothes line gripping portion, a hinge portion, and a handle portion, the handle portion having ringer seats with flanges extending from the margins of said seats, and said handle portion extending to the hinge portion, and having an opening adjacent said hinge portion, the flangesv of keach handle portion abutting when pressed together, said hinge portion having a flat surface -with a projection on one jaw match- `V`Ying a corresponding recess in the nat surface of the other jaw, the combination of a U shaped spring embracing the pivotedl ends of thejaws ,Y and having each leg provided with an outward curved portion extending over and hugging saidv vand having each leg provided with an outward curved portion extending over and hugging said lbulge, vand having `an inward ysemi-circulary or ogee curverbetweensaid outwardly curved portionand the common portion forming part of each legVeach leghaving an extension beyond fthe; curved portion towards the tips of the jaws. i

3. In A,a .clothes pin, a pair of jaws in mirror reverse,4 a hinge for said jaw, each of said jaws having at one'side a curved entrance portion, a cut out, a at surface, and a surfaceinclined to the-,fiat surface, the at surface of one jaw abutting `the ,at surface of the other jaw, and l the cutout of one jaw forming with the cut out ofthe other jaw, a clothes line opening, and a semi-cylindrical bulge on the other side, combined with a U shaped spring having its vU vembracing I tlfie hingefand extending beyond the g. hingefto saidL inclined surfaces, and having a semi-cylindrical portion in each leg for huggingly embracing the semi-cylindrical bulge of each jaw, fsaid 'spring having a reentrant portion of semifiat spring tensioned to hold the gripping portions against each other and pressing upon the vexteriors ofthe gripping portion, and passing throughthe openings in the handle portions, the U; of the spring enclosing the hinge portions and parts of the gripping portions, said spring having on each leg of its U, a re-entrant portion between the U and the pressure point of the leg upon the gripping portion.

5. In a clothes pin having two matching jaws in abutting relationship with a hinge portion of a projection on one jaw registering with a recess on'the other jaw, a gripping portion axially at one side of the hinge portion, and a handle portion axially at the-other side of the hinge portion, the combination of a plurality of projections onY the exteriorside ci each gripping portion, and a U shaped at spring having its U embrace the hinge portion and its legs extend over one of said projections and against vanother projection of said plurality of projections, each leg having a re-entrant portion.

Y MARIO MACCAFERRI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

